Texas Southern University Enters $1 Million Collaboration with PING x HIDEOKI in Support of Men’s and Women’s Golf Programs

(Houston, Tx.) – Yesterday marked an exciting new chapter for Texas Southern University (TSU) with the announcement of a groundbreaking collaboration with PING x HIDEOKI that will secure custom gear and apparel for TSU’s men’s and women’s golf programs and several student-centered initiatives through 2028.

Through this collaboration, PING x HIDEOKI looks forward to complementing TSU’s commitment to innovation and transformation with thoughtfully-engineered design and luxury fashion. The first collection of PING x HIDEOKI apparel and gear made exclusively for TSU’s golf program will be unveiled in Fall 2023.

PING x HIDEOKI is a relationship that is one of the first of its kind. By combining each brand’s high regard for the intersection of engineering, thoughtful design and premier performance, PING x HIDEOKI looks forward to bringing years of expertise producing the best in golf gear and bespoke luxury to Historically Black institutions across the country, with TSU kicking off the collaboration as the initial HBCU to benefit from the PING x HIDEOKI partnership.

“Texas Southern University is excited to embark upon this transformative collaboration,” said TSU President Dr. Lesia L. Crumpton-Young. “This relationship furthers our commitment to the golf program at TSU by providing our student golfers the highest quality custom products available. It also furthers our commitment to providing experiential learning opportunities for all of our students. PING x HIDEOKI share our passion for approaching every opportunity with innovation in mind. We look forward to the growth our students will experience through this collaboration.”

The collaboration provides up to $1 million over the next five years through a comprehensive set of opportunities available to members of the golf program and other TSU students. In addition to providing upscale, exclusively-designed golf attire including outerwear, pants, shirts, footwear, bags and accessories, PING x HIDEOKI will also embark on collaborative opportunities with TSU’s fashion, engineering and art programs by way of internships, scholarships and unique enrichment projects.

“The student-athletes at Texas Southern University, much like the craftsmen at HIDEOKI, are no strangers to the ever-present but inspiring challenge of continuously honing their skills to achieve more each day,” says Dedrick Thomas, Founder and CEO of HIDEOKI, “In this spirit, HIDEOKI is proud to collaborate with TSU as part of our PING x HIDEOKI initiative to support the collegiate journey of these athletes with high-end bespoke apparel, travel gear, travel equipment, scholarships and internships.”

Currently, TSU’s golf program is experiencing what many would call a renaissance. Both the men’s and women’s golf teams at TSU won the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship in 2022–the first time in the program’s history that both teams have secured conference victories in the same year. Looking forward to TSU’s next chapter of athletic excellence, President Dr. Lesia L. Crumpton-Young is eager to continue the enrichment of student-athletes through unique collaborations such as PING x HIDEOKI.

“We’re excited to collaborate with HIDEOKI in supporting Texas Southern University’s students and student-athletes through this multi-layered program,” said PING Executive Vice President Andy Solheim. “PING has a long history of supporting college golf teams on the course, but this marks the first time we’re providing scholarship and internship opportunities for an HBCU institution. Along with equipping the men’s and women’s golf teams to compete at the highest level, we look forward to helping prepare students for the next chapter in their lives through financial support and career-advancing work experiences.”